


Autumn leaves

by EstherWeepingAngel



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Heart Break, Hurt/Comfort, Kenma is in love with Hinata, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, hinted Kuuro Tetsuro/ Kozume Kenma, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-14 01:35:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11772735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstherWeepingAngel/pseuds/EstherWeepingAngel
Summary: Kuuro watches his best friend fall in love.





	Autumn leaves

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a rough translation of the song that inspired me.  
> I wrote this on my phone and English is not my native language so sorry about my grammar mistakes and typos!

When Tetsuro looks at Kenma, he is reminded of Autumn.

 

The way his hair blows in wind.

The faint smell of apples that always surrounds him.

The shadow of a smile that comes on his face from time to time, like narrow rays of sunshine peeking from a sky full of clouds.

The Halloween decorations that are still on Kenma's bedroom walls since he's too lazy to take them off.

 

The light brown of his eyes.

 

Kenma reminds Tetsuro of Autumn.

Especially as he falls in love with Hinata Shouyou.

 

At first, it wasn't noticeable or obvious. It was the lingering stares that might have looked like analyzing an opponent. The small smiles that Kenma gave to Hinata. The fact that he managed to have a real conversation with the red-head. The barely there touches of hands or shoulders.

It was like watching the first leaves that fall from the trees when Summer ends, peaceful and quiet. It was those little meaningless things. They didn't matter. They didn't mean anything. 

Until they did.

 

Because the hints turn to late night conversations and meeting on the weekends. Kenma starts to talk about Hinata with Tetsuro when they hang out instead of just tapping randomly on his phone. At first, they discuss Karasuno's team, then the freak duo. Then the way Hinata jumps and runs. Then the stupid jokes he makes, or the animes he likes. 

 

"You seem to like him." Tetsuro watches Kenma intensely, tries to see any signs of blush or stiffness. It's a Saturday evening and they're both sprawled on Tetsuro's bed, their legs are intertwined and a movie that nobody's watching is playing in the background.

But Kenma just puts his hair in a ponytail and plays with the black hoop that still hangs from the cartilage of his ear since the day the two of them got matching piercings in middle school. 

 

"You shouldn't do that," Tetsuro moves Kenma's slender fingers from his ear. "It'll get infected."

 

"Hm."

Tetsuro sighs and looks at his best friend who keeps twirling a strand of hair between his fingers without paying him any attention.

"So? Do you like him?"

 

Kenma finally looks up at Tetsuro, his eyes showing no emotion as always.

 

"He's interesting."

 

"Right." Tetsuro waits for Kenma to continue. "That's all?"

 

"Yeah, Kuro. That's all."

 

Kenma spends the rest of the evening texting. Tetsuro doesn't have to look to know to whom.

 

It's all innocent and sweet, at the beginning. It's almost entertaining, to watch as Kenma gets wrapped up in his little crush. To watch him fall deeper, maybe without even realizing it.

 

\-------

 

"Hey, Kenma."

 

"Hm."

 

They're going home from practice and Kenma's snapping a picture of a stray cat. Tetsuro notices that it's fur is ginger.

 

"Are you... in love with Hinata?"

 

Kenma's eyes widen slightly before he looks at Tetsuro. He keeps eye contact for a few seconds before breaking it and walking away without answering.

 

He doesn't have to.

 

Tetsuro changes the subject to the practice game they're about to have with Fukurodani and walks along with Kenma, leaves swirling in the wind around their feet.

 

\-------

 

The leaves keep falling. And soon they become a storm, a wild and silent one at once.  

Tetsuro learns from Daichi that Hinata is their setter's boyfriend. The freak duo is now a pair outside of volleyball too.

 

As soon as Tetsuro gets the text, he gets out of bed and walks to Kenma's house which is right beside his. Kenma's mother lets him in, warning him that Kenma's probably still asleep, but Tetsuro knows that he's not.

 

After all, Kenma can't sleep when he's sad. He couldn't sleep for two days when his kitten disappeared, or when they didn't make it to Nationals last year. 

He's probably wide awake now. Breaking, silently. Like he always does.

 

Kenma is completely snuggled under his huge blanket when Tetsuro comes in, a brown cat sitting on top of what must be Kenma's head. Tetsuro pets Nala who purrs and rubs her tiny head with his palm. Kenma got her for his last birthday, after years and years of convincing his parents to get him another cat, and named her after the Lion King character, not paying any attention to Tetsuro's opinion about it being cliché.

 

"Kenma."

 

Tetsuro hears a grunt come from underneath the black blanket. He's about to snatch it to uncover Kenma but he stops himself, reminding himself that this is different from Kenma being too lazy to get up for morning practice. 

 

 

Tetsuro sits on Kenma's bed and gently pushes Nala away. He then drags the blanket down a little to uncover Kenma's face which is pale and expressionless.

Kenma doesn't react and looks at a random spot on the wall behind Tetsuro. His hair is all over the place and Tetsuro notices that Kenma hasn't bleached his roots for a while and that his hair is starting to look like it had when he was younger. Tetsuro has the feeling he knows why Kenma wants his hair to be all black now.

 

Tetsuro sits on the bed and carefully touches Kenma's shoulder with the tips of his fingers. 

 

"I'm sorry. I know he means a lot to you."

 

Kenma sniffles as tears start to slips from his eyes, sliding down the sharp bridge of his nose.

Tetsuro lays down and squeezes his friend in his arms, letting him sob on his shoulder. 

As Kenma cries, Tetsuro looks out of the window which has a badly cut pumpkin head taped to it and watches as the wind blows, sending leaves sprawling and crashing on the road. 

And Kenma cries.

And Tetsuro curses Hinata Shouyou, love and the cold weather.

 

 

"I thought I had a chance."

 

They're sitting on Kenma's bed, playing on the Xbox, the remaining of two pizzas and the huge apple pie Tetsuro bought scattered on the bedroom's floor. It's getting dark outside, but Tetsuro knows that his parents wouldn't mind him staying with Kenma.

 

Tetsuro looks over at his best friend who has just spoken for the first time since being asked what kind of toppings he wanted. He's not crying anymore and Tetsuro notices that he looks more awake now, tapping almost enthusiastically on his console, his hair pinned back messily with Hello Kitty bobby pins.

 

"Does he knows?"

 

Kenma scoffs. "No. If he did he'd probably feel guilty and start to apologize and try to make me feel better." Kenma speaks fondly of Hinata and Tetsuro thinks that maybe Kenmas likes that about the middle blocker, the fact that he cares too much.

 

"He should. You being the only one sad is not okay."

 

"I guess that's what one-sided love is like. Only one person is happy."

 

"You deserve to be happy."

 

Kenma leans over and takes a slice of pie in his hand, looking down at it without taking a bite. 

 

"I'm glad _he's_ happy. He's all giddy and excited about it. But,"  Kenma's lips purse and his grip around the pie tighten. "I want him to be like that with _me_. It's selfish."

 

"It's okay for you to be selfish. It's okay for you to want to have that too."

 

Tetsuro pauses the game and sits closer to Kenma, pressing him to a one-armed hug that the setter return, to his surprise.

 

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me Kuro."

 

"I know you will. You're stronger than people think." 

 

Kenma giggles and as he's hugging his friend, Tetsuro can't help but think that maybe the heavy feeling in his chest makes him selfish too.

 

\-------

 

Soon enough, Autumn fades to Winter and the snow is covering the trees. Nekoma has made it to Nationals and Tetsuro drags Kenma outside to celebrate. They get Ramen and ice cream, and Tetsuro lets Kenma talk him into getting his ear pierced with him. Kenma's hair is longer now and almost always pulled up, only the tips of the straight strands blonde, and Tetsuro marvels at how it matches the black stud in Kenma's right ear.

 

The walk home is quiet, their arms occasionally touching and Kenma's sneezing fit breaking the silence.

Tetsuro looks at his best friend as light snow starts to fall and he feels a warm feeling spreading in his chest. He knows that Kenma is better now, his smiles more frequent and his sets more precise, more focused. 

Kenma still reminds Tetsuro of Autumn, with the smell of apples and hair that flows in the wind. But steadier.

 

Tetsuro takes Kenma's hand in his own and the snow keeps falling around them as theymake their way home.

 

 


End file.
